Grills to get the ball for ValleyCats' opener

Evan Grills will be the starting pitcher for the Tri-City ValleyCats when they play host to the Vermont Lake Monsters in their New York-Penn League opener tonight at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium. (Mike McMahon / The Record)

TROY -- Tri-City ValleyCats first-year manager Ed Romero had several good choices for his decision on a starting pitcher for tonight's New York-Pennsylvania League season opener against the Vermont Lake Monsters.

On the other hand, lefthander Evan Grills was an almost obvious choice.

The Whitby, Ont. native won four games last at Lexington of the full-season Class A South Atlantic League last year - 4-1 with a 4.92 earned run average and will being his fourth professional season tonight.

Why was he sent down to the half-season NY-P League?

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"They want me to start again," said Grills, who relieved in all 37 of his appearance as Lexington last season after starting a half-dozen games in the Gulf Coast Rookie League.

The Lake Monsters, a Stedler Division rival of the ValleyCats, will counter with right-hander Greg Paulino who has a 6-8 record and 3.94 ERA in two years of Arizona Rookie League ball.

Romero, under orders from the parent Houston Astros, would not divulge the ValleyCats' lineup but be assured; at least four of the ValleyCats' seven left-handed hitters will be in the lineup.

Romero said the fact that four of the ValleyCats' five outfielders, both third basemen and one of the two first basemen hit lefthanded, could be a bit "problematic.

"But basically, what the organization felt that's what they wanted to do, to lean heavily (left-handed)," Romero said. "So, we'll go with what we have. It is what it is. I could be a little troublesome when we face left-handed pitchers. But a lot of these guys played college ball and some had some pretty good numbers against left-handed pitching, so it shouldn't be that bad."

The Lake Monsters have two left-handed starters, Jerad Grundy and Taylor Massey, either of whom the 'Cats could see on Tuesday or Wednesday nights.

Grills, meanwhile, wasn't surprised to be told to remain at Extended Spring Training and that he would be assigned to the ValleyCats, instead of Quad Cities of the Midwest League (the Astros no longer have South Atlantic League team).

"I wasn't that surprised," he said. "I had an alright season last year but they had talked about me a starter again, so ... I was a little disappointed that I didn't break with the (Quad Cities) team but that's just my competitive nature but I'm happy to be here."

And he's happy to be starting again.

"As of right now, I'm a starter," he said.

"I'm just a left-handed pitcher," said Grills, who said his fastball ranges from "high-80s (m.p.h) to low-90s. Curveball, slider, changeup. I can command all those pitches. I throw strikes and pitch to contact."

He struck out 42 and walked just 23 in 71 1/3 innings at Lexington last season.

"Grills is a solid lefty," said ValleyCats pitching coach Doug White. "He's a young kid but he's already played above this level, so he should pretty confident. We're trying to get him into the starter role, get him comfortable. He's changes his arm slot, too, so we had him in extended spring training working on that.

"As long as he stays calm and not get too over excited because it's opening day, then I expect a strong outing from him."

Well, no one likes to lose their season opener at home, so won't the pressure be on Grills?

"Not a lot of pressure," he said. "I'm physically and mentally prepared, so there's no pressure."

Most of the ValleyCats pitchers have extensive amateur experience as starting pitchers. Some nine of the 13 hurlers are listed on the team's prospectus as starters.

White explained.

"Right now, what we're doing is a piggy-back situation," White said, referring to a short-stint system the Astros have used in previous ValleyCats' seasons. "They are going to be 10 guys. One guy gets to start, one guy gets to finish, basically, then they flip-flop every week. So, there's a maximum amount of innings and a pitch count that they'll have each time out.

Every pitcher's count will be different - and whatever it may be, it will be the determining factor in a starter leaving the game.